Best Restaurants in Ann Arbor (2025)

Chef Ji Hye Kim’s Korean cooking channels Michigan seasonality with verve; praised by Eater and Food & Wine and repeatedly recognized by James Beard. Come for tteokbokki, stay for the banchan and makgeolli.

A tiny dining room with a big point of view: set menus that change monthly and an impeccably curated wine program, cited by Eater and James Beard. It feels like a dinner party with serious technique.

A love letter to American regional cooking—fried chicken, oysters, heritage grits—sourced with care from local farms. A perennial crowd-pleaser frequently highlighted by Eater and local critics.

The city’s culinary landmark since 1982; towering sandwiches, artisan groceries, and enduring national acclaim. Featured in The New York Times and a 2025 Best of Detroit winner.

Star chef JJ Jonhson redesigns Blue LLama Jazz Club menu with Caribbean and West African flavors | Eater Detroit

Over a little more than five years in business, Ann Arbor’s Blue LLama has established itself as a stylish downtown destination for jazz lovers with world-class music programming and state-of-the-art acoustics, and is now attempting to reboot its food program by bringing on New York–based chef JJ Johnson as creative culinary director. The restaurant’s original fine-dining menu leaned into punny tributes to jazz greats — for example, a poached monkfish with collard greens inspired by Thelonius Monk and playful items like Basin Street Bombs (Italian arancini) — but owner Don Hicks felt the food lost synergy with the music over time. Johnson’s new menu intentionally reflects African American foodways to honor jazz’s roots in the South, West Africa, and the Caribbean, and is organized into first and second courses, sides for the table, and a prix fixe option ($55). Highlights include grilled jerk prawns with a fiery fresh herb marinade; a meat-free yassa made with leeks; bouncy udon noodles in a savory peanut sauce served with braised goat shoulder; and the standout C. Bird Half Chicken, brined for 72 hours, roasted to crispy, juicy perfection, and served with a collard green salsa verde. Some items, such as a boneless ribeye with grilled pineapple, are available on the prix fixe menu for an additional cost, and each reservation carries a $15 entertainment ticket per person. Johnson has been developing the menu out of his Harlem lab while local executive chef Scot Livingston (formerly of Napa Valley’s Meadowood Resort) and sous chef Shani Patterson (from Jean-Georges) run the kitchen, a team Hicks likens to an elite jazz combo. - John Reyes

Downtown tapas and paella with bona fides: chef Raúl Cob has competed on the world stage, and the dining room buzzes nightly. Frequently recommended by Eater and Destination Ann Arbor.

Vietnamese‑influenced plates and a cocktail program to match—moody lighting, tropical accents, and shareable dishes. Named Best New Restaurant (Washtenaw) by Metro Times and featured by Eater.

A refined, globally minded kitchen with local sourcing at its core. Praised by local critics and voted Best Restaurant (Washtenaw) 2024 by Metro Times readers; reservations recommended.

Two sibling spots under one roof: slurpable ramen and pho next door to sizzling tabletop barbecue. A downtown staple and frequent pick on Eater Detroit’s Ann Arbor guides.

Locally owned seafood and cocktail den known for pristine oysters and an iconic fish taco. A Main Street favorite and repeat finalist in regional best‑of lists; noted on Eater’s patio roundups.

Born at York and now a brick‑and‑mortar, Ricewood marries Texas‑style smoke with island‑style rice bowls. Loved by locals and highlighted by Eater for redefining fast‑casual barbecue in Ann Arbor.